Mail-bag fastener



E. H.. WALKER. MAIL BAG PASTENER.

"Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

ANDREW E GRAHAM. PHOT0-u1MD.wASH|NGmN.D C

(No Model.)

UNTTE@ STATEs PATENT QTETQE.

EDWARD n. WALKEitoE SOMERSET, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAI L-BAG FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,795, dated September 24, 1895. Application tiled May 15, 1895. Serial No., 549,391. (No model.)

To all whom it may cow/cern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Som erset, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in mail-bag fasteners for tightlyT securing the mouths of the bags, the object of the invention being to provide a fastening device which is simple, cheap, eflicient, and unfailing in its operation, and which may be applied to the bag with facility, operated with ease, and that is not likely to get out of order; and the invention therefore consists, essentially, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end of a mail-bag provided with my improved fastening device. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross-section of the fastening device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged'detail cross-sectional perspective of the mouth end of the mail-bag with the sliding fastener removed therefrom.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in thev several figures' of the drawings.

A A designate the two side portions of a mail bag or sack, which are adapted to come into close contact with each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, When the mouth'of the bag is closed, it being understood, of course, that the bag is of the usual tubular or sack form and that the sides A A are in reality integral with each other and together constitute the body of the sack, and are here separately spoken of simply for convenience in the description.

The body of the bag may be made of leather, canvas, sacking, `or any other suitable material.

The mouth edge or edges of the sides A A are rolled or turned back upon themselves, as

The strip C is secured to the bag by means of rivets or by any other suitable fastening devices. The strip or strips B are securely fixed inside of the danged mouth edges by means of rivets or other convenient fasteners.

I will now proceed to describe the sliding fastening device which engages the parallel edges of the mouth and holds them tightly together when the bag is closed. This device consists, first, of the sliding strips D D, which vare adapted to engage the guide Ways or grooves b b and move longitudinally therein. These strips D may be of leather or any other proper material and are of sufficient thickness to'give them strength for the purpose which they have to serve.

F denotes a longitudinal Acovering-strip, of tubular form,rwhich is secured at its lower edges to the sliding strips D. This tubular cover F may be made integral with the strips D, if desired. It may be made of leather, canvas, or any other proper material. It may be entirely dispensed with, if desired, and the strips D employed without any cover connection of this kind. It will probably, however, be found convenient to employ a cover of some sort, inasmuch as it will pass around the strengthened mouth of the bag,neatiyin closing and protecting the latter.

Securely attached to the outer faces of the strips D D is a series of inverted-U -shaped or bow-shaped staples or loops, made preferably of metal, although I do not Wish to be confined to this material, but can manufacture them out of any stiff rigid substance. These stiff bow-shaped pieces are located at convenient distances apart and. are preferably placed quite close together. They obviousl y pass over the mouth ofthe bag and afford a stout protection therefor. They also are situated outside of the flexible tubular cover F when the latter is employed. These stiff metallic loops E form in effect a tubular metallic sheath for the mouth of the bag, and while they serve as an ample protection to prevent the bag edges from being injured or interfered with they also permit the mouth of the bag to be perfectly tiexible. They are, in fact, of very great importance as a feature of my invention, and I lay particular stress upon the advantages derivable from their use. These stiff bows may be secured to the sliding pieces D in any desired manner. One convenient way of fastening them is to provide theirlower edges with slots e and then to pass through these slots the longitudinal strips G G, which are riveted to the outside faces of the sliding strips D. The lower edges of the bows E may, however, be riveted directly to the pieces D. Any form of fastener for this purpose may be adopted which is found preferable. Thus it will be seen that when the bag is to be fastened the mouth edges are brought closely together, and then the strips D D are caused to enter the guide-grooves b, through which they can be drawn by a simple easy movement, and this will cause the tubular cover F, and likewise the protecting-loops E, to surround the edges of the mouth, covering and protecting them, and the device thus placed upon the mouth can be drawn into its position of complete engagement with very little difficulty and scarcely any delay. One end of this sliding fastener' contrivance is provided with a flap J, which is riveted atj to the body of the bag, in order to keep the device perinanently connected to the bag and to prevent its displacement when it is removed from the mouth. The other end of the fastener is provided with a flap Il, which engages a staple I in the bag, and then by means of a bar h and the padlock t' the fastening device can be locked.

In order to still further make a complete closure of the mouth of the bag and prevent the possibility of the entrance thereinto of any moisture or any other substance, I attach, when desired, an auxiliary or supplemental fiap K to the inner face of the right-hand reinforced edge A, for instance as shown in Fig. 4, and this is foldable over the other reinforeed edge, and on the depending end of this tia-p is a roll or flange 7.3. Then this flap is used it will he evident that after the fastening device has been brought into engagement with the mouth,as shown in Fig. 2, one of the strips D will depress the Hap K into the groove b, and then the ange 7c will rest beneath the strip D, andit will be impossible for the flap K to work up between the fastening device and the mouth in consequence of this location of the lower flange t, and hence it will be impossible for the flap K to become displaced from acting as acover over the adjoining edges of the mouth. In order that this cover may serve more effectnally and may protect the end of the mouth as well as the main length of it,I provide an additional fiap K of shorter length than the flap K and attached to the mouth edge alongside of flap K and adapted to be folded in such a manner at the ends of the mouth as that an effective closure may be made at these points.

Numerous changes in the precise structural details herein described may obviously be made without departing from the main spirit ofthe invention, and I reserve the liberty, therefore, ofpvarying these details in such a manner as experience may suggest as being.,r necessary or expedient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mail bag fastener, the combination of the reinforced edges of the mouth, the lateral strip or strips on the bag, guide strips movable in ways between the edges and the said lateral strips, a tubular cover connected to said strips, and a series of stiff bows or loops surrounding the tubular cover, and the longitudinal fastening strips attached to said bows, substantially as described.

2. In a mail bag fastener, the combination with the reinforced moutlredges and the lateral strip or strips on the bag, of the tubular sliding fastener provided with a series of et+ terior stiffening bows, and the auxiliary closing flap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD ll. IVALKER..

Witnesses:

SAM G. WALKER, OLIVER KNnPrEn. 

